


Done.

by McShipIt



Series: Domestic Bliss? [3]
Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Angst, Crew as Family, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Future Fic, M/M, Married Couple, Married Life, Retirement
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-07
Updated: 2018-12-12
Packaged: 2019-09-13 08:31:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 20,556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16889145
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/McShipIt/pseuds/McShipIt
Summary: Jim and Leonard have returned to Earth after their imprisonment on Rura Penthe. Leonard is happy to be alive and maybe take some deserved rest... Jim has other plans.More trials and tribulations of the happily(?) married couple.Same universe asMine!&Strike!but set years after the 2 stories.There's no need to read the other stories, it can standalone, but it does conclude the series.[Rura Penthe is a penal colony planetoid utilized by the Klingon Empire. (I've borrowed from Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country).]





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I owe a thank you to [Motts102](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Motts102/profile) for giving me the inspiration to start this fic over 4 years ago from our many chats about Karl. And a huge, blessed thank you to [bookjunkie1975](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bookjunkie1975/pseuds/bookjunkie1975) who pushed me to finish it and gave me the confidence boost to post it.

***RURA PENTHE (PENAL COLONY)***

Rough hands shoved Jim and Leonard inside the metal cage. It was tall enough they could stand, but Leonard, being an inch taller than Jim, felt the need to slouch to avoid hitting his head on the top of the cage.

“Twelve weeks before our mission ends. Twelve weeks, Jim!”

“Things were getting boring.”

At least their hands were no longer bound, but the cage was a tight fit for the two of them. He'd never had a problem with tight spaces, however, tight spaces a mile underground might change his feelings on the matter.

The metal door slid shut with a bang that echoed down the shaft below, sealing them inside what some might consider their tomb.

To avoid the familiar pang of panic, Leonard picked up the conversation again. “And Rura Penthe was the answer? You realize there are prisoners here holding grudges. Very real, and long-standing grudges.”

“That was over a decade ago, Bones. They’re probably dead by now.”

“Or really, really pissed off and looking for revenge.”

“I’m sure it’s the other.” Jim gave him a quick smile.

The air was damp, and whatever was wafting its way up from the shaft underneath the cage promised to be horribly frightening and even more so disgusting. It smelled of dysentery and death, with the subtle hint of wood fires burning. While Leonard's gut turned at the prospects that loomed below, Jim seemed surprisingly calm.

A siren sounded, one long, sharp burst, and the cage started to move. Leonard grabbed hold of Jim to steady himself, already missing the light of day as the cage started to descend. There was no lighting in the cage, and the only illumination came from a small red bulb above the door of every level as they traveled downward. It was a slow progress, and each time they passed a level, he noticed Jim’s fingers counting.

“You just couldn’t leave well enough alone,” Leonard said.

“Me? You’re the one who tried to save the Chancellor’s life.”

“So, this is my fault?” Leonard put his hands on his hips.

“Well, if you had just listened to me…”

“And let the man die right in front of our eyes!" Leonard's voice was loud and sharp, competing with the grinding wheels carrying them to their deaths. "If you didn’t have this messiah complex when it came to saving the galaxy, then we wouldn’t be here.”

“Messiah complex? Bones, you do realize you were the one performing life-saving medicine on a man we were warned was not to be touched.” Jim's fingers twitched as they passed another level.

“They were going to let him die!”

“Bones,” Jim said, placing his hands on Leonard’s shoulders with seven fingers held out straight. “I’m not blaming you, okay? We were set up."

"You mean I was set up."

"No, we. They knew I'd never let them take you. It was a means to an end. That's all." He gave Leonard a chaste kiss on the lips. "But we’re here now, and we’ll get out of this.”

“Do you ever think maybe that horseshoe up your ass fell out somewhere along the way?”

Jim laughed, and purposely flexed his ass, giving Leonard a glimpse. “I’m pretty sure if it had, you’d have noticed.” He caressed Leonard's arm and then turned toward the elevator shaft doors. They were slowly descending to unimaginable depths. The metal wheels rumbled painfully loud against the metal tracks of the shaft. If the air wasn’t getting colder, Leonard would have thought it was a descent into hell.

His ears popped when Jim’s fingers counted to fourteen.

“Bones, are you afraid of the future?” Jim asked.

“I’m pretty sure that was the idea I was trying to convey.”

“At least we’re together this time, alone, but together. Usually, it's one or the other in this kind of predicament. I think this is a first.”

“First and last,” Leonard growled.

“Exciting, isn’t it?”

"You and I have very different meanings of excitement. Exciting is a new soft tissue scanner or watching a nebula explode from a safe distance. Remember those Gorn octuplets? That was exciting. Dying on this ice hell is definitely not."

The elevator came to a screeching halt, jolting them off balance again, and making them reach for each other to steady themselves. Leonard drew strength from Jim’s arms, trying not to let the silence fill him with dread when he realized they were seventeen levels below ground.

"We're not going to die,” Jim said.

"Oh, we're not?"

“You'd think after fifteen years of marriage, you'd know me by now.” Jim leaned in and gave him a lingering kiss, soft and promising, and then he gently slapped Leonard’s cheek. “There's always a plan, Bones. Always."


	2. Chapter 2

***EARTH - MONTHS LATER***

If Leonard didn't get a cup of coffee in the next two minutes he was going to start taking numbers, starting with the perky, new nurse who seemed to be waiting for him at every turn of corner. The kid had stars in his eyes, and M’Benga was stringing him along, telling him stories about Leonard and Jim which only made things worse. It was bad enough the entire Federation knew his name, but he'd always been able to maintain a bit of decorum at work. Breaking out of Rura Penthe, and brokering a peace treaty with the Klingons tended to take anonymity off the table.

The _Enterprise_ had been back on Earth for a month, and it had been one media storm after another. Ten days of it and Leonard had enough, cursing out admirals near his vicinity, telling them he'd had enough of the dog and pony show, and his talents were needed elsewhere. He left the cameras to Jim and the rest of the crew, opting to take a temporary position at the Starfleet Academy teaching hospital to pass the time. It was nice, steady work, not-too-taxing, and he enjoyed the stability. It didn't stop his nightmares though—nothing seemed to stop those.

Pushing through the doors to the doctor's lounge, he was happy to see it was empty. It was early still; the sun hadn't risen, and it was the time of day he missed most while living in space. The sky was a soft purple, and the birds had just started their songs. It was a peaceful time, bringing back memories of Georgia and the family farm.

He replicated a coffee, sipping it carefully, then sat on the sofa to watch the news feeds. He flipped through stations, his hand freezing when the screen filled with blinding white teeth and a mouth that still did things to him when he saw it. He rolled his eyes at his audacious husband and the dazzling smile he was giving the cameras.

The door behind him opened, and he sunk further into the sofa to avoid whoever it was. Two young interns entered to get themselves coffee.

"Hi, Dr. McCoy," one of them said, too chipper for this time in the morning.

"Ladies," he said, acknowledging them.

"Oh! There's Commodore Kirk!" the other one said. "Do you want me to turn the volume up for you, Dr. McCoy?"

"No, it's fine," he mumbled.

"You're so lucky. How do you live with that every day?" The two giggled over their cups, eyes glued to the screen while Jim gave another speech before christening some school on the east coast.

"I ask myself that very question every night.” Leonard wanted it to sound dry and sarcastic, but the two young girls didn't take it that way, and his ears turned pink at their insinuations.

The truth was, Leonard hadn't seen Jim in weeks, not since he'd dismissed the admirals, and decided to stay in San Francisco rather than head out with Jim on the whirlwind tour of press conferences and recruitment fundraisers.

Watching Jim on the screen, Leonard took the time to study him in detail. He wondered where the time had gone. Jim's magic, gray hair elixir wasn't exactly all that magical. There were stripes of silver above his ears, but thankfully, he still had a full head of hair. Leonard would rather stab out his eardrums than listen to Jim whine about a bald spot.

There were laugh lines around Jim’s eyes, not too deep, but enough he no longer looked like the eager young pup people used to mistake him for. The dark circles under his eyes were new, a courtesy of a hectic schedule and sleeping in a different city every night. There was an old wives’ tale about cameras adding ten pounds, but from what Leonard saw in front of him, it might be more like twenty. Jim had been doing too much wining and dining these past weeks.

Leonard snorted into his coffee. He was going to bring that up the next time they spoke.

_Serves you right, you moron. You're not in your twenties anymore_ , he thought.

It was like Jim could sense when Leonard was making fun of him. He flipped open his comm to answer the chime and saw Jim's face light up the screen.

"You've gotten fat."

"I love you, too, you grumpy bastard," Jim said smiling.

Leonard heard sighs from behind him, and when he turned around to glare at the two interns, he gave them his 'leave or get murdered' look, which had them rushing out of the room to give him his demanded privacy.

"I see you're making friends with the locals," Jim said, and Leonard grunted. "And the camera adds a little weight."

"Sure it does. How'd you know I'd be up?"

"I installed that tracker in you. Remember?"

"That's not funny. Knowing you I wouldn't doubt it."

"Guess you'll never know," Jim said, wiggling his eyebrows. "You been up all night?" He seemed concerned, and Leonard hadn't looked in a mirror in over two days, so he had no idea what was staring back at Jim. "M'Benga said you've been sleeping in the lounge.”

"Geoff's a traitor. You keeping tabs on me?"

"Always." Jim’s admission sent a tingling down his spine. Jim Kirk was worried about him. All these years later, and he still felt like the luckiest man in the galaxy.

"I'm fine, Jim. Just doesn't feel the same being in that bed alone. Besides, you're one to talk. You look like shit.” He was three hours ahead, but Jim looked like he’d been up for a lot longer.

“Caught the news?"

"Everyone else may think you're still dreamy, but I know when you're pushing yourself." The circles under Jim’s eyes, the ones from the news feeds, were more pronounced now that he saw them up close, and Jim’s skin was sallow like he hadn’t seen the sun in days. “You taking your vitamin doses?”

Jim held up the travel-sized hypospray kit Leonard had packed him, waving it in front of him. "I'm hurt you don't think I’m dreamy anymore."

"I don't need to think that. We said, 'for better or worse,' remember?"

"Next time I see you,” Jim said, “we're going to mix things up."

"Jim, we don't need anything spiced up."

"Spiced up? Who says that?" Jim was laughing at him, shaking his head.

"Just get your ass home. It may not be Klingons, or planet destroying ancient machines, but you're stretching yourself too thin."

"I miss our bed.” Jim looked off in the distance, lost in his thoughts—dirty ones, no doubt. And Leonard couldn’t blame him, he was having similar thoughts stemming from similar needs. “You've ruined me for all other beds."

"Is that all you miss?" Leonard’s eyebrow rose to his hairline.

"Pretty much."

"Jackass."

Jim leaned forward in his chair, lowering his voice. “What are you wearing?"

"Dammit, Jim! I'm in the doctor's lounge."

"So, scrubs, then," Jim said and winked.

"With something sinister on the hem." Bones looked closer. "I think it's vomit."

"Sexy. They’re the white ones, aren’t they?”

"Jim..."

"They're my fave. They hug your ass the nicest. I always wondered why you never wore those on the _Enterprise_. It's been too long since I saw that ass in those." Jim licked his lips, and Leonard fought the urges awakening in him from that gesture.

"It's been too long since you saw my ass at all,” Leonard reminded him.

"True.”

"I miss your face, Jim."

"You mean my tired, haggard, fat one?"

"Yeah, that one," Leonard said. "When you coming home?"

"Soon. I want to talk to you about something."

“Another one of your bright ideas?” Leonard groaned. “I’m not going to like this, am I?"

"You'll probably moan and grumble, raise your voice a few times in protest.” Jim waved his hands. “You'll pretend you hate my idea, and you'll recite all the ridiculous, asinine reasons why we shouldn't do it. And then you'll love it."

"So, business as usual."

"Love you, Bones. I’ll be back soon."

"I’ve no doubt you’ll work hard to make it up to me."

“We could start now.” Jim bit his lip in that seductive way of his, then made an exaggerated movement with his hand to cup himself.

“Ending this transmission now.”

“Come on, Bones. I’m lonely and we’ve never done this before.”

“And we’re not starting now.”

“Let’s live a little. It’s something new.”

“Tell you what,” Leonard smirked when he saw the eagerness in Jim’s face, “when I’ve showered and I’m home in our bed tonight, you can say all the filthy things you want to me, and you can do whatever it is you want to do with your hands.”

“Or let’s skip the wait and—”

“Jim! Our faces are infamous enough as it is without a hospital lounge, sex scandal.”

“Fine. But we’re picking this up in...” he looked behind him, “...eight hours and you better be naked. No, wait! Clothed, then you can do a strip—"

“Goodbye, Jim.”


	3. Chapter 3

“Jim, it’s too big,” Leonard said, shaking his head.

“Size is relative.”

“And I’m telling you, it’s too damn big. What are you planning to do with it?”

Jim rolled his eyes. “What do you think?”

“We don’t need it.” Leonard crossed his arms, jutting out his chin.

“Need and want are two very different things. And I want this, Bones.”

“When are we going to be around to enjoy it?”

“For this, we’ll make time.” Jim reached for Leonard’s hand, pulling him into an alcove next to a monstrous fireplace and sitting him on a window seat. “Come on, Bones. It’s perfect. Can’t you picture it?”

“Actually, I can’t.”

Jim glanced out the window. “There’s an office above the garage—”

“—which probably isn’t insulated from the wind whipping across the Bay.”

“Four bathrooms—"

“—when you can’t manage to keep one clean.”

“A huge kitchen. I’ll cook you meals—”

“—that’ll send me straight to the hospital, I’m sure.”

“A deck that wraps around the entire house, and trees—"

“—with pollen that’ll keep you sneezing all season.”

Jim kissed the knuckles along Leonard’s left hand, near his ring. “And four big bedrooms, Bones.”

Leonard didn’t have anything to say to that, but his breath caught at the idea of three extra bedrooms and what Jim intended to fill them with.

“Can you see it now?” Jim whispered.

Jim wanted a family. They had never talked about it, even though they’d mentioned it in passing a few times, but never truly broached the subject, not while their commissions were still active. He always thought Jim would stay in the stars, and space was no place to raise children, at least not aboard a starship. But for some reason, Jim saw kids in their future.

Leonard never entertained the thought, even though there was a part of him that wanted to be a father, but he’d been chasing Jim around for the last twenty years and he would continue to do so until Jim didn’t want to. His place was wherever Jim was, and if that meant dying of old age among the stars, then that’s where they’d be...together.

Jim took a deep breath, shifting a little closer. “The only place I’ve ever called home is a small cabin aboard a ship with nine hundred souls. I’ve never had this, Bones. We can talk about what comes next, but this is it.”

“What are you saying, Jim? I need to know what’s in that head of yours.” He tapped Jim’s temple. “Usually, I can figure you out sooner or later, but this, I don’t know. You’re going to have to spell it out for me.”

They heard a throat clear in the other room, reminding them they weren’t alone. If they were going to get personal, perhaps out of earshot from a stranger would be more practical. The woman had been patient, giving them their space to explore the house, but like any agent, time was money and she had expended her tolerance.

“Now’s not the time, Bones.” Jim squeezed his hands again. “We can discuss this later, what we want from this, but it’s time we put down some roots, even if it’s a few months at a time.”

“It’s a bit far from the city.” And it was. He could still see the Golden Gate Bridge from the deck of the house south of them, but it took them an hour to get here.

“I thought that would appeal to you. No nosy neighbors or prying eyes. There’s a local shuttle, and it’s not like you’ll be commuting every day. Plus, we can pull in favors with some captains and they can beam us anywhere we want to go.”

“Oh, great.” Leonard rolled his eyes. “Why didn’t you lead with that?”

Jim pulled Leonard up with him, putting his arms around him. His lips rested on the outer shelf of Leonard’s ear. “We deserve this house.”

It was a ridiculous house. Too big, and too much upkeep, especially if they were going to be off-world for months, possibly years, at a time. It was a stupid investment, but one they could probably afford, and if it made Jim happy, and made him feel like he was creating something more than just the two of them, then how could Leonard stand in his way.

“No, we don’t,” Leonard said, pulling back to catch Jim’s expression falter. Leonard placed his hands on Jim’s cheeks, leaning forward until their lips were almost touching. “You deserve it, Jim.” He kissed him, pulling him close, trying to hold onto the bundle of energy in his arms that was looking to explode. He counted to three before Jim bounded away from him and hollered his joy. His reaction may have been a little absurd for a prestigious Starfleet Commodore, but when he started rambling about what furniture would go where, Jim’s enthusiasm was impossible to contain, and soon enough, Leonard’s heart was racing alongside Jim’s.

“Are you sure?” Jim asked, stopping mid-sentence. “You’re really okay with this?” His skepticism was front and center in his voice.

“We have to live somewhere when we’re on Earth,” Leonard shrugged, “might as well be this place.”

The woman was already sending a comm, snapping at the two of them to come into the kitchen. She finished up her call, and her red lips parted with a smile that stretched her entire face. She went straight to Leonard, shaking his hand.

“Commodore Kirk knew you’d say yes.”

“Oh, he did, did he?” Leonard glared at Jim. “Well, I’ve spent the last twenty years living in space and I suffer from aviophobia. He always could talk me into anything.”

“So, we’re putting in the offer?” she asked, looking from Jim to Leonard, eyes shining with dollar signs.

“Just how big an offer?” Leonard griped.

“Bones,” Jim said, his ears turning pink, “let’s just enjoy this moment.”

“Do I even want to know?” Leonard knew this area and could probably guess how much that view was going to cost. It was an older four-bedroom house but with all the trimmings and up-to-date technological advancements. This would put a dent in their finances.

“The condo is already up for sale—”

“With three offers on the table,” the woman finished for Jim. The two shared a look before Jim cast his gaze downward.

“Hmph,” Leonard narrowed his eyes. “Why do I get the feeling you already bought the house?”

“What? Bones, no. Come on.”

“Jim.”

“If you’ll excuse me. I need to take this.” The woman held up her comm, exiting through the double-wide, sliding doors leading to the outside deck. _Call, my ass,_ Leonard thought, but didn’t blame her for not wanting to be a part of this conversation.

Leonard turned his full attention to Jim, placing his hands on his hips and puffing out his chest. It only took a few breaths before Jim caved.

“Okay, fine! It’s already ours. We just need to get your signature.”

“I see. You made a goddamn, life-altering decision without me. One that will affect the rest of our lives.”

“We got a really good deal. This whirlwind of press tours actually paid off in the right circles. The previous owners were happy to sell to the ‘Federation’s Heroes’—their words, not mine.”

Leonard scoffed at that but didn’t budge with his stance, only readjusted his folded arms, waiting to see what other excuses Jim offered.

“Nyota said it was a bad idea, but I wanted to surprise you.”

“Nyota was right as usual.”

“Bones, I know you hate the condo. It reminds you of being on the ship, cooped up with no outdoor living space. I wanted you to have a little of the farm without having the farm. If you don’t want it, I understand. We can call the agent and tell her the deal’s off.”

“You staged this whole thing?” Leonard swept his arm out. “The agent...”

“Yes?” Jim raised his eyebrows expectantly. “Look, I know I shouldn’t have done it, but we haven’t seen each other in weeks, and it’s been too long without you. I want to have a place that’s ours, where we can come home and flop on a giant sofa in front of our fireplace together. I want to wake up in the morning and drink coffee on our deck, naked if we want to. And I want you to have your stuff from the farm out of storage. A place where we can have our friends and family together, command central, just like when we’re on the ship.”

“Hmph.”

It’s not like Leonard had been blindsided by Jim’s confession, but it had surprised him. They had never talked about Rura Pentha—both knowing how close they’d come to the end. They’d chosen to ignore the dark stuff and bask in the success of their endeavors instead. Leonard would be a fool if he thought Jim didn’t know about his night terrors, or that he wasn’t sleeping more than a few hours at a time. They’d been apart for the last month, but the hospital was small, and their crew and friends looked out for one another. Geoff knew, which meant Jim knew.

Maybe this was Jim’s way of apologizing for all the years of worrying Leonard endured, and the extra gray hairs he’d caused, or maybe it was the stiffness Jim felt every morning reminding him he wasn’t the same young man who stowed away on the _Enterprise_ all those years ago. Whatever this was, Jim was throwing Leonard a lifeline in calm waters, and all Leonard had to do was grab hold and brace for the coming storm.

There was no way in hell Jim was giving up his ship, or giving up the stars, but maybe he wanted Leonard to have something to hold on to the next time catastrophe struck.

“I should have waited,” Jim said, reaching for Leonard’s hands, “but you know I’m not great at waiting. Please don’t be mad, Bones.”

“Jim.” Leonard sighed. “I’m not mad. I just wish we could have discussed this.”

“I know,” he said in a low voice, hanging his head. “You’re right, and I’m sorry. I’ll make it up to you.”

“Oh, yeah? How?”

“Well, the house is ours, technically.” Jim glanced at the window, and the woman was nowhere to be seen. “Which means we can do what we want with it. In it.” He wiggled his eyebrows.

“You think a blowjob is going to make up for buying a house behind my back?”

“Well, it’s a start, isn’t it?”

“Huh.” Leonard smiled. “You know, Jim, I wouldn’t mind another look at that master bedroom. We can figure out where the bed should go.”

“Now you’re talking, Bones.” Jim turned, and he didn’t run to the stairs, but he moved pretty quickly. “We’re going to christen every room, before the furniture and after.”  

“My back and your knees may say otherwise.”

While Jim took the stairs two at a time, Leonard took a moment to admire the view. Jim was impulsive and reckless and at times slightly obsessive, but he never made decisions without an endgame, and if this was theirs, it was a mighty fine place to finish off their days.

“You better be getting naked down there!”

“Listen, you little perv, I’m just making sure we’re alone. I warned you about sex scandals. Your face is plastered everywhere as it is.” Leonard’s steps were slow and steady on the stairs, taking note of the creaks in the floorboards and one particularly loud step.

“I don’t think it’ll be my face that’ll be plastered everywhere.”

Leonard heard the humor in his voice, already picturing Jim in the bedroom, and sure enough, as he got to the landing, glancing into the master bedroom, Jim was standing in the middle of the room, smiling with his hands on his hips, naked as the day he was born.

“Bed here?” he asked, tilting his head to the wall between two windows.

“You are utterly ridiculous.”

“But you love me.”

“Sometimes,” Leonard’s shirt came over his head, “more days than others.”


	4. Chapter 4

Leonard came awake with a start, heart pounding, his body drenched in sweat with the stench of death fresh on his tongue. Sleeping at the hospital was supposed to help with the dreams, but the few hours he managed to catch here and there were still plagued with misery. Just because he was lying on a sofa in the doctor’s lounge, surrounded by people coming and going, didn’t mean the hollowness didn’t come calling.

There were countless missions with outcomes worse than Rura Penthe. There hadn’t been any exploding planets, ships burning up in the atmosphere or doomsday machines, and no one had died, but for some reason, this mission stuck to Leonard, and like the cold that settled in his bones during their month stay on that ice planet, he couldn’t shake it.

Four months since they’d come back to Earth. Leonard was still working at Starfleet Medical, while Jim traveled the galaxy trying to promote Starfleet recruitment again. He was playing poster boy, which was fine by Leonard—better to keep Jim busy than back in San Francisco complaining of boredom or buying ridiculous furniture for their ridiculously large house. Moving day was only a week away, and then they'd finally get some down time together.

This wasn’t the first time they had done a long stint on Earth. The _Enterprise_ was always in need of repairs and upgrades, and in the past fifteen years, they had been here enough to keep a small condo near Starfleet Command. Their new four-bedroom house seemed like overkill, and he wondered what they planned on doing with all that space. They’d avoided that talk Jim had promised, both not ready for things to be said aloud, but maybe once they were settled in the new house they’d feel the need to do something about the empty rooms.

Groaning from the crick in his neck, Leonard swung his legs off the sofa and tested his steadiness. He missed his bed. This old, ratty sofa might have been fine twenty years ago, but his body couldn’t handle scrunching itself between the two arms and sinking into the middle where the springs were sorely lacking support.

He made himself a cup of coffee, debating whether to turn on the vidscreen to see his husband splashed across the news feeds or give himself a reprieve from the media circus. It only hurt that much more to see how far apart they were.

The door to the lounge squeaked as it opened. He grumbled under his breath about some privacy before dawn, but when he caught the face from the side of his eye, his annoyance vanished, replaced with joy.

Christine Chapel held up a tablet, waving and smiling. “I was warned, but I thought I’d take my chances you weren’t hibernating.”

Leonard caught sight of the tablet, and in big, red letters it spelled out: GRIZZLY SLEEPING. DO NOT POKE.

Leonard shook his head, raising his eyebrow as he took a sip of his coffee. “Dr. Chapel,” he said, greeting her, and still taking pleasure from calling her by her deserved title. He held out his arms, and she fit snugly, wrapping her arms around him in return. They held onto each other for a few moments longer than necessary.

Apart from vid-calls and the occasional dinner, he hadn’t spent much time with Christine over the years. Under his persuasion, she decided to stay behind from this last five-year mission to become a doctor. He had been sad to lose her, but she made a fine physician, and he couldn’t be prouder.

He held her at arm’s length, admiring her short hair, and change of attire. “You look good in white.”

“And you look like shit.” She placed her hand on his cheek, rubbing her thumb along his jaw. “What’s wrong?”

“Just a few late nights. And that couch is nothing short of torture for a man my age,” he said.

“Just because I haven’t been around for the past five years, doesn’t mean your bullshit works on me now.”

Leonard chuckled, pulling away from her gaze. “I’m fine, Christine. Sleep evades the old. You should know that as a doctor.”

“You're hardly that old, old man.”

“Decades in space is bound to bring a few restless nights.”

“Rura Penthe,” she breathed out, pouring herself a cup of coffee. She indicated the sofa, but Leonard shook his head and sat at the small table with two chairs.

“Not just your average penal colony. Jim had to get us thrown into a place where everyone pretty much had an ax to grind with the Commodore of the _Enterprise_.”

Christine reached out to hold his hand, rubbing soft circles on his palm. “Is he still on press tours?”

“Hasn’t stopped since we got back.”

“Oh, Leonard.”

“It’s fine,” he said. “That’s what happens when you bring peace to two warring nations who’ve been at it for centuries. Peace treaties bring a level of notoriety.” He sipped his coffee. “Like Jim needed anymore.”

“Golden Jim.”

“Golden Jim,” Leonard agreed.

“Come on, you look like you could use an actual meal for a change.”

“Darlin’, I could use a whole lot of things, but a decent meal is high up on that list, and a meal with you is delightfully unexpected.”

They folded themselves into a booth at the diner across from the hospital. They ordered their meal, and when the food arrived, Christine dug into more things than just her pancakes.

“You want to talk about it?” Christine asked, eating a forkful of food.

“Nothing much to say,” Leonard said, sipping his coffee, and playing with his egg-white omelet instead of eating it. Lately, his appetite wasn’t what it used to be.

“Okay,” she said, munching for a bit, then, “so, you bought a house?”

“Jim bought a house. I’m merely tagging along.” Christine laughed at his eye roll. “You should see the size of this thing, Christine. I don’t know what we’re going to do with all that square footage. We’re not even going to be around to enjoy it!”

“You’re going back up, then? Another mission?”

“Of course.” Leonard frowned. Christine seemed genuinely surprised by that bit of news, and it made him wonder who she’d been talking to. “Why wouldn’t we?”

“It’s just that...” she struggled for the right words, “...after what happened to you and Jim, and the news of the house, we—I thought you decided to stay earthside.”  

Leonard didn’t get a chance to respond as the server inched her way closer. She glanced between the two of them, then settled her eyes on Leonard with recognition dawning on her face. Leonard groaned inwardly.

“You’re Dr. Leonard McCoy,” she said, pointing and smiling and speaking too loudly for Leonard’s comfort.

“Why, yes, he is,” Christine said, sitting back in the booth and gloating.

“Thanks, Chapel,” Leonard mumbled.

“I thought it was you, but I wasn’t sure,” the server said almost bouncing on her feet, gripping her commlink. “You look different in person than on the news feed.”

“It’s the permanent scowl, isn’t it?” Christine said, purposely egging on the interaction. “Who would’ve thought he could maintain it that long? But I’ll tell you a secret,” Christine waved the woman closer, lowering her voice, “you’ve caught him on a good day. He’s actually pleased to see me, so this is his happy face.”

The server—Janey, her name tag said—didn’t know if Christine was joking, but to be polite she smiled, glancing at Leonard with wide, expectant eyes.

“He’s more charming onscreen, than in person,” Christine said, “believe me, but I bet he wouldn’t mind if you took his photo.” Christine was eating this up. She motioned for Janey to have a seat next to him. “Go on,” she said, reaching for Janey’s commlink, “put your arm around him. Don’t be afraid. He secretly loves the attention.”

Christine lined up the picture. “Smile, Leonard,” she ordered, but Leonard only raised an eyebrow with a scowl directed at his torturer.

Janey thanked them profusely and ran to the back of the diner, and when they heard Janey squeal about his infamous eyebrow, Christine broke out in laughter.

“I hate you, Chapel. I really do. You used to be a nice girl.”

“I was never a nice girl, Leonard,” she winked, stabbing some fruit on her fork, “and that was too good to be true. Jim shouldn’t get all the attention. From what I hear, you played an integral part in the treaty. You saved the Chancellor’s life.”

“Who’ve you been talking to, Ms. Nosy?”

“Leonard,” she said reaching across their plates to take hold of his hand. “I’m worried about you. I don’t know all of the details you went through, but I know enough you’ve been carrying the brunt of it on those shoulders of yours.”

He wanted to pull his hand out of her grip. He wanted to overturn the table, plates and all, and escape to somewhere no one would find him, where no one would pity him about what happened on Rura Penthe. He thought about their scars, both his and Jim’s, the ones he couldn’t see. He never included all of the details in his report, but their medical records confirmed the physical trauma they suffered, the mental, well, he’d leave that up to each other to sort through.

“We’ve been through worse,” he settled on, pulling his hand away to pick up his fork. “We’ll get through this, too.”

Christine stayed silent, examining him long enough he felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise. Eventually, she accepted his need to let it go and began to eat her breakfast. “So, tell me about this ridiculous house. Is there a view of the Bay? There better be a room set aside for me when I visit, or there’ll be hell to pay.”


	5. Chapter 5

Leonard’s fingers curled around the deck railing, taking in the view of the San Francisco Bay. The house was set high and surrounded by trees. There were neighbors on both sides, but Jim insisted on privacy, so he’d found a house where the trees blocked them out. Everywhere Jim went someone wanted a piece of him, so if they could keep their home as their sanctuary, then Jim would be able to relax without the threat of exposure. He couldn’t blame Jim for the high price tag for their privacy, not when he was going to be looking at this view every morning and night.

Jim had been right about their finances, though. Their advisor was a genius—likely on the disreputable side with what he had done with their money in the last ten years, but they had more than Leonard dreamed when they’d started planning for the future, and now their patience had paid off in the best way imaginable.

As Leonard focused on a sailboat off in the distance, he took in the smell of the fresh air and the ocean, realizing he could get used to this. He imagined the barbecues and the evenings surrounded by friends on their deck, and god willing, a family to come. He never thought they'd have a home like this, especially in the depths of the Rura Penthe mines while performing old-school resuscitation on Jim after he was skewered in the fighting pits for food scraps. He never thought they’d see the light of day, much less own a house with a view like that.

He heard the slide of the door, but didn’t turn around to see who was disturbing him.

“It’s beautiful, Leonard,” Uhura’s voice was soft enough not to disturb him, even though she was a welcome intrusion. Anything to keep his mind from going back to the depths of hell.

“It is, isn’t it?” Her hand settled on his shoulder. She seemed to sense where his thoughts were and let him have a moment. They wouldn’t have any of this if it wasn’t for her and Spock and the rest of the crew of the  _ Enterprise _ . Jim and Leonard may have gotten the accolades, but it was their quick thinking and perseverance that got them off that rock. They owed everything under their feet to them.

“What the hell are Jim and I going to do with all this?” Leonard said, chuckling. “We won’t even be here to enjoy it.” It was the same old song and dance he gave everyone when he talked about the house. It was the joke he tried to pass off, even if it was a question he didn’t want to be answered.

“But the time you do spend here will be worth it,” she said, squeezing his shoulder.

“Your hobgoblin didn’t come with you?” he asked, glancing to the windows. “Afraid of a little hard labor?”

“He wanted to be here, but he had business on New Vulcan that couldn’t wait.” She was frowning, her eyes questioning, but when Leonard didn’t press, she switched the conversation.

“So, another five-year mission?” she asked like she was somewhat surprised to hear.

“That’s the plan, isn’t it? Another five years to god knows where. You’d think we learned our lesson. I mean, brokering a peace treaty should give us some entitlement, shouldn’t it? But knowing Jim, he’ll have us exploring black holes and other dimensions next.”

“I’m sure whatever you get up to will be grandiose and far-reaching.”

“Yeah, it’ll be—wait—what do you mean by  _ you _ ?”

“Didn’t Jim tell you?” She glanced at her hands.

“Tell me what?”

She met his eyes, as she was known to do when delivering difficult news. “Spock feels it’s time he fulfils his duties to the Vulcan council. And I’m going with him.”

It was a punch to the gut, or better yet, it felt like the ground beneath him was shaking the foundation of their new house.

“I would’ve told you sooner, Leonard, but I figured Jim would have. Spock approached him last week. He wanted Jim to find out from him and not Starfleet Command.”

Jim had been acting strange these last few days, and especially this morning, but Leonard figured he was anxious about the move. He’d been distracted at times over meals, staring out the window with his thoughts for long periods.

“From the look on your face, Jim didn’t share this with you.” She placed a hand against his cheek, then pulled him into a hug. “I’m sorry, Leonard.”

“There’s nothing to be sorry about, Nyota.” They had served their time, admirably and with honor, and had gone far above their call of duty. They deserved whatever peace would come their way.

“We’re hoping to start a family,” she said, pulling back and smiling.

“That’s wonderful news. Although, I’m not sure how I feel about the idea of tiny Spocks in this world. I think one is more than enough.”

Nyota laughed, slapping the back of his head. “Well, hopefully, my genes will balance them out.”

Leonard grunted and raised his eyebrows. “Doubtful. He’s a stubborn bastard with a thick head. Doesn’t look good for you.”

“You two never quit.” She shook her head. “You’re going to miss each other.”

“If you’re going to insult my good nature, I’m going back inside.” He pulled her back into a hug, kissing the side of her head. He didn’t need to give voice to the words of how much he was going to miss the both of them. It hadn’t sunk in yet, and would take some time before it did.

“So, Jim didn’t take it so well, I’m guessing?” Leonard asked.

“What makes you say that?”

“Because for the last week he’s been moping, hardly saying a word, but today, he’s running around like a kid jacked up on sugar. He hasn’t stopped for anything or anyone, and he’s been avoiding me since this morning.”

“I don’t know what the two of them discussed,” she said. “Spock came home that night and went straight to bed. He hasn’t said much for days. I’m sure his decision is troubling him as much as it is Jim, although he’d never admit it.”

“The two are quite the pair. They’ll never be another like them,” Leonard said. He stepped away to lean on the railing. This was a huge blow, one that would shake Jim to the core. “I’d be lying if I said I was okay with your departure,” Leonard said. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy for you, darlin’, but it won’t be the same without you two having our backs.”

“We’ll always have your backs, Leonard. No matter where we are in the galaxy.”

Leonard smiled at her because he did know the truth in that, but being on opposite ends of the galaxy wasn’t quite the same thing.

“We never would’ve made it out without the two of you,” he said. “Jim would’ve died on that godforsaken, frozen planet, and me along with him, or wishing I had.”

“We just had to wait for your signal,” she said. “You did the hard work.” Leonard resisted flinching, but she knew him well.

“You still having nightmares?”

“Damn Christine. That woman should mind her own business.” He wrapped his hands around the wood railing.

“She’s looking out for you. We’re worried.”

“I’m fine. Y’all need more work to keep you busy instead of wasting your time fussing over me. It’s Jim who got the brunt of it, but then that’s par for the course with that idiot.”

“Duly noted.” She laughed.

“Thank you.”

“Have you tried talking to anyone?” She rested her hand on his back.

He closed his eyes, soaking in the warmth from her hand. He couldn’t seem to get the chill out of his bones. “I’m not there yet.”

“Promise me you will if it gets to be too much.”

“It’s just one more notch on the belt of insurmountable odds we’ve faced. Nothing we can’t handle.”

A loud bang came from the house. “Speaking of handling, that didn’t sound good. Come on,” he wrapped an arm around her, “let’s go make sure they’re not breaking my house before we move in.”

He took a step toward the door but was sharply pushed back against the corner of the deck, hitting it hard as glowing lights from a transporter beam appeared. The deck was suddenly filled with outdoor furniture and a huge cooktop grill.

“You okay?” He helped Nyota to her feet, brushing off the leaves and pine needles stuck to their clothing. “Goddamnit, Jim!” He yelled. “You could have killed us! Death by barbecue is not the way I imagined I’d go!”

Jim poked his head out of the sliding door. “You should have told me you’d gone outside! Scotty’s beaming the furniture now.”

“I’m pretty sure you’re violating some Starfleet directives by using a starship to move our house.”

He waved a hand at Leonard. “Perks of being the hero of the Federation.”

“Abuse, more like.” Leonard took hold of Nyota’s elbow. “Thanks for the save,” he said. “I owe you...again.”

She was smiling as she dusted off her pants like the incident was something nostalgic, a final nod to the years they’ve put up with Jim.

“Is it safe to step inside my own goddamn house?” Leonard asked. “Or you going to beam down a grand piano?”

“Do you think we need a piano? Should we get one? I can arrange—”

“Jim.”

“You’re right. Maybe in a few years.” Jim stepped back inside, and out of earshot.

“See what I mean?” Leonard said, shaking his head. “He’s a mess. Now at least I know why.”

Stepping through the doors to the kitchen, Leonard watched as Jim orchestrated the beaming of the furniture, and despite his protest, he had to admit it was a damn handy thing to have a starship in your back pocket. Furniture appeared on the markers Jim had set out, and before Leonard knew it, the house was starting to look like a home.

“Shall we start on the kitchen?” Nyota asked.

“I think I need a drink, first,” Leonard said, unpacking the box he knew contained his bourbon and a few glasses. He held a glass up to Nyota.

“No, thank you,” she said, touching her belly without thinking.

Leonard’s mouth dropped open. “When you said starting a family, you meant...”

“Yes, Leonard,” she laughed. “Our first is on the way.”

His eyes prickled with tears, and his smile was as wide as it was genuine.

"Don't make my cry, Leonard!" she said, slapping his arm. "My hormones are not my own." She fanned her face, blinking back her tears.

"Oh, come here, darlin’." He pulled her against him, wrapping his arms around her as they laughed and cried over her joyous news. She would make a fine, proud, strong mother of a Vulcan.


	6. Chapter 6

It was a long day filled with laughter and happy tears, and lots of booze to supply the troops, but they were finally alone in their house. It was surreal, especially since Jim insisted on turning off the lights and eating take-out by candlelight at the kitchen island. The light from the candles cast a soft glow on Jim’s face, reminding Leonard of years gone by. Jim was tired, as was Leonard, but Leonard understood where the haunted look that crept up on Jim in the last few days had come from.

Leonard dug into the last of the baked Risian beans, looking for any cracklin’ bits Jim might have left behind.

“When were you going to tell me about Spock?” Leonard looked up from his dish, waiting for Jim to meet his eyes. He let the question hang, watching Jim clear the takeout boxes and wash the counter until Leonard realized he wasn’t going to answer.

“Jim...”

“I couldn’t,” Jim said, lowering his head with a sigh, his shoulders slumping forward. “It would’ve made it real.”

“Oh, Jim.” Leonard stepped down from the bar stool, pulling him into his arms. He held tight until Jim relaxed in his arms.

“Sulu’s been given his own ship,” Jim mumbled into Leonard’s shoulder, choking on the words. “And wants Chekov as his number two. He said he’d stay if I needed him, but I can’t ask him to do that. I can’t make Chekov give up that kind of opportunity. And I won't be the one to split them up.”

He pulled Jim closer, placing his lips at Jim’s temple. "It was bound to happen. If your crew wasn’t as stubborn and loyal as you, it would have happened sooner.”

Jim took a shuddering breath. “It feels like the world’s splitting apart, Bones. I don’t know what to do about it.”

The idea of losing Sulu and Chekov, along with Nyota and Spock, was lamentable, and something they would address at some point, but not tonight. The last thing Jim needed was to hear Leonard’s concerns about this bit of news.

"Come on," Leonard said, releasing him. "I think my big hero needs to forget some things for a while. Go on up.” He gently tapped Jim’s behind. “I'll shut things down around here and join you with that bottle Scotty gifted us."

"Bones..." Jim said softly, reaching for his arm.

"I know." Leonard patted his hand and gently steered him toward the hallway.

As Leonard blew out the candles and powered down the house, his mind wandered to a time when Jim's abandonment issues were at the forefront of their marriage. They'd come a long way since then, but every now and again he saw hints of Jim's fears shine through, and tonight they were glaring brightly. As much as Jim was a mover and a shaker, he didn't like a lot of change. He clung to people, placing his trust in only a few who were worthy of it. This wouldn't break Jim, but it would put some cracks in his infallible foundation, and as always, Leonard would be there to patch them up.

He grabbed the bottle, heading for the stairs. Halfway up, he heard the water running and followed the noise into the master bathroom. Jim had run a bath and was just stepping in when Leonard walked through the door.

"This is exactly what this old, tired body needs," Leonard said, pouring two glasses of brandy and handing one to Jim. As he undressed, he studied Jim's face. His eyes were closed with his head leaning back against the edge of the soaker tub. He was deep in thought. He could recognize that expression from a good distance, but up close, it was even easier. The edges near Jim’s jawline were tight and worrying, and the lines around his eyes were etched deep. Jim needed to process whatever was going on in his head, and when he was ready, he would share it with Leonard.

The tub was big enough for the two of them. Leonard climbed in, pushing Jim forward to slip behind him so Jim’s back rested against his chest. He wrapped his arms and legs around Jim, pulling him close until they were neck deep in the water.

The heat soothed his aching muscles, and the scent of lavender was present from whatever Jim added to the water. Leonard turned off the tap, leaving only the sound of the bubbles settling on the surface of the water, and nothing else. They stayed motionless for a long time, just relishing in the heat from the water and each other.

Leonard was close to nodding off when Jim whispered into the darkness.

"I want a family, Bones."

Leonard let him have his silence, let him have whatever was going through his head and waited. He willed his cock not to respond to the intimacy of the moment, but it was a tough sell. Feeling himself harden against Jim’s back, he shifted then placed a soft kiss along the silver scar on the nape of Jim’s neck, a reminder of what he almost lost in the mines. It was the only answer he could give Jim.

"I want a family with you," Jim continued, voice still low and heady. Leonard’s mouth left a trail of kisses along Jim’s shoulder. His heart was pounding in his chest, and when he placed his hand over Jim’s heart, he could feel it working as hard as Leonard’s. This confession was costing Jim. It meant he couldn't take it back, that Leonard would hold him to it, and put his hopes in this future Jim was laying out for them. Leonard’s expectations never included Jim giving up the stars. He would be happy with whatever future they chose as long as they were together. This was Jim’s decision to make.

Closing his eyes, Leonard took a deep breath, resisting the urge to thrust his hips against Jim. His cock was fully hard, like it was virile now that the word family had been put out into the universe. He wanted Jim, and until now, hadn’t realized how much he’d wanted this from him.

Jim pushed back against Leonard, enough for Leonard to bite his lip, and then Jim was standing, dripping water everywhere. He reached for Leonard, pulling him up to stand with him. Between the heat from the water, and the heat from Jim, Leonard was light-headed and swayed, feeling dizzy for more reasons than being pulled abruptly to his feet.

“I want someone to call us dad, Bones,” Jim said, holding him steady. “I don't care how we have them, I just want them with you.”

Leonard’s heartbeat rang in his ears. If he understood Jim’s words, it could only mean one thing. “Does this mean you’re giving it up? You’d,” Leonard took a deep breath, “you’d do that?”

Jim smiled, one of his blinding smiles with all teeth. “What else is there to do? We had three successful missions, and I’ve lost track of how many times we’ve saved the galaxy.” Jim rolled his eyes. “Besides,” he took Leonard’s hands, “everyone who’s important to us is moving on, and I think it’s time we did, too.”

Leonard crushed his lips to Jim, narrowly slipping to his death. There was a moment of panic, but Jim’s reflexes hadn’t diminished with age.

He chuckled into the curve of Leonard’s neck. “Whoa, Bones. It’s not like the two of us can make it happen tonight.”

“Jim,” Leonard said, then cuffed him on the shoulder. “I’m a doctor, and well versed in how reproduction works. But the way I see it, loving you after all these years, I’ve come to believe that anything is possible.”

Jim reached for the towels. Leonard followed, nestling up behind him with his cock pressed up against his ass. A part of him wondered if he’d fallen asleep in the tub and this was a dream. He never thought he’d hear the day Jim would admit to giving up space, giving up his ship. It all seemed too good to be true. For the first time since the  _ Enterprise  _ had been put in spacedock, Leonard felt a weight lift from his chest. He never knew how crippling the idea of another mission was to him. He’d resigned himself to it, but now that it might be off the table, that there was another option, the relief was front and center, and he felt lighter than he had in years.

“Imagine the media circus if you got me pregnant, Bones?”

He smacked Jim’s ass. “Maybe it’s wise not to tempt fate.”

Jim pushed back, reaching behind to pull Leonard closer. “No harm in trying,” he breathed. 

They would need to talk in depth about this, as to what exactly Jim’s intentions were, but for now, he’d settle on this bit of hope Jim was offering.

“Bed. Now.”


	7. Chapter 7

“Where you going?” Jim asked around a mouthful of oatmeal with raisins.

“Meeting Geoff,” Leonard mumbled, pouring his coffee. He woke up on the wrong side of the bed, in fact, he’d been waking up on the wrong side of the bed a lot lately, ever since they moved in. The restless nights of sleep filled with the ever-pressing nightmares plaguing him were taking their toll. He thought they would stop when Jim expressed interest in retiring, but they’d gotten worse since that first night. Instead of worrying Jim, Leonard made excuses to work late, staying at the hospital, and when he couldn’t stomach sleeping on the small cot in the intern’s room any longer, he made the trek home, catching a few winks at odd hours to avoid Jim’s scrutiny.

“I thought we were going to have a full day _and_ night together before I left for London?”

“I did, too, but Geoff wants me to consult on a case. Some sort of space bug he’s never seen before.” Leonard sipped his coffee. “I promised I’d meet with him.”

“Today? Bones...”

“Don’t start, Jim.” Leonard sighed. “I don’t have the energy.”

“Is there something you’re not telling me? I’m starting to get a complex, here.” Jim ate another mouthful.

“Just lots going on. If we’re staying on Earth I need to explore my options. Not everyone can have the posting of their choice.” He poked Jim's side on his way to the sink. He jumped and tried to swat Leonard's backside but missed.

“Is this how it's going to be? Ships passing in the night, or morning?”

“Hardly,” Leonard grunted. “Things will calm down soon.”

“But I’m leaving for London tomorrow, and there’s things we need to discuss.”

“I’ll be four hours, tops.” He took one last sip of coffee before dumping the rest. “I’ll even bring dinner from the city. Narta’s? We’ll have the entire night.”

Jim’s eyes lit up hearing his favorite Risian take-out mentioned, but it was short-lived. “You’ve been avoiding me ever since I mentioned...you know,” Jim said, making an encompassing gesture with his hand.

“The fact you can’t say the word ‘family’ without getting all weird means you’re not exactly ready for one, don’t you think?” Leonard hadn’t meant to snap, but his regular crankiness was on a short fuse.

“Well, that was uncalled for. What the hell is your problem?” Jim dropped the spoon in his bowl, and the clattering of the metal made Leonard jump.

“I’m sorry,” Leonard said. “I'm an asshole. I didn’t mean it.” His words were a knee-jerk reaction to the pressures they were under, both being pulled in too many directions. They hardly saw each other anymore. Leonard thought buying the house meant they would have some stability, but it didn’t seem to be the case. When Jim was home, Leonard was called in for some medical emergency or consult, and when Jim was away, Leonard found he had all the time in the world, and didn’t like being in the big, empty house alone. They had lived in the house for four weeks and Leonard could count the number of evenings they spent together on one hand. And it hadn’t slipped Leonard’s notice that Jim was delaying the resignation of his commission, and until he did so, Leonard was in limbo, too.

“I never thought buying this house meant I’d actually miss you, Jim. I might even go so far as to say I miss our claustrophobic cabin. At least on the ship I always knew where to find you.” He put his arm around Jim, kissing his temple. “I’m just tired. Not sleeping enough, I guess.”

Jim took a breath, holding Leonard’s arm in place. “I know about the nightmares,” he said. Leonard tried to pull away, but Jim held firm. “Why won’t you talk to me?”

“They’ll pass.” Leonard gently squeezed Jim’s neck, kissing him again before Jim let him go. “They always do.” There was no denying he was a mess. Anyone else he would diagnose it as PTSD, but Leonard wasn't convinced it was as dramatic as that for him. He needed to find purpose on Earth and until he did, he couldn't entertain the idea of a family even if they wanted one.

“I can cancel London,” Jim offered.

“No, you can’t. Those kids are depending on you, Jim. It’ll only delay the inevitable. Might as well get it over with now. Besides,” Leonard grinned, “if you want to be an Admiral, it's the burden you have to endure.”

“You could come with me?”

As much as he always missed Jim when he left, perhaps the distance this time would allow Leonard to get a handle on this, put the wasted energy to better use, like focusing on the renovations they had planned and setting down roots. “And who’s going to let the contractors in? Someone needs to be here to make sure things go as planned.” He patted Jim’s hand. “I’m okay. Really, I am.”

Jim stared him down, examining Leonard and the dark circles around his eyes that he knew were there. “We’re going to have to talk about it at some point.”

“There’s nothing to talk about.” He couldn’t exactly tell Jim he woke in cold sweats from seeing Jim’s lifeless body being thrown down a glacier, or Jim bleeding out in the pits on Rura Penthe. He had plenty of nightmares about Jim’s death, seen his death first hand even, but this last mission rattled Leonard, enough that his phobia of space and ships was back with a vengeance and he couldn't seem to shake it. If Jim hadn't mentioned staying on Earth, they would be having an entirely different conversation about what happened on that rock, one that Leonard wasn't sure he could have with Jim. It didn't matter though, Jim wanted to retire from captaining, and Leonard fully supported that decision.

“Bones?” Jim stood from his stool placing his hands on Leonard’s shoulders. “Where’d you go?”

“Oh,” Leonard chuckled, pulling Jim against him. “Just thinking about all those burly contractors who’ll be in the house while you’re gone and how lonely I might get.”

“Yeah? You think so, huh? And what if they’re women? Or Andorians looking to bring you into their marriage bed?” he said, grinding against him.

“I’m a doctor, not a monk, Jim. Blue skin doesn’t scare me, neither do breasts.” He winked at him.

Jim narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing him, or maybe he was just imagining his husband’s limbs tangled up with twelve other blue limbs in their bed.

He pinched Jim’s ass. “Don’t even think about it.”

“You brought it up!” Jim kissed him, hard and unyielding until Leonard had to pull away to save his dignity. He left the taste of cinnamon and coffee on Leonard’s tongue.

“Do you have to go?” Jim asked. “I had plans for us today.”

“Well, hold on to them until tonight.”

“When did we become occasional fuck buddies, Bones? When was the last time we spent time together outside of our bedroom?”

“So, you’re telling me your plans were not to spend the day in bed?”

“Well, not all of it. I thought we could take a shuttle to Yosemite, do some free climbing. Relax a little.”

“What part of watching you free climb is relaxing? I’d be a nervous wreck.”

“Where’s your sense of adventure?”

“I don’t need to tell you that my life has had enough adventure, you’ve lived it with me. I was thinking we could sit on our big back-deck, overlooking the Bay and drink some nice mint juleps in the sun.”

Jim breathed deeply against the side of Leonard’s neck. “We can do that, too.” He kissed him behind his ear, nibbling along Leonard’s jawline.

“Jim,” Leonard warned, “the quicker I leave, the quicker I can be back here adventuring with you.”

“Fine.” Jim grunted. “Leave me. Go be brilliant.”

“I promise I'll be home in plenty of time.”

Leonard wasn't though, an emergency spinal reconstruction pulled him into the operating theater for hours. He got home just as Jim’s schedule had him leaving for London.

As he kissed Jim goodbye, there was relief he felt, just a small part of him, because it meant a reprieve from Jim's scrutiny for two weeks. He would take that time to get his head together, get a handle on whatever this was. He wanted what Jim had offered, he wanted the family, the house, and the future, he wanted it all, and the fear of it being taken away when it was just within his reach was holding him back from believing he would have it.


	8. Chapter 8

Leonard surfaced from a deep sleep to sunlight glaring on his face. He wondered where he ended up last night since the room at the hospital had window covers and his bedroom had blackout blinds. Burying his head into the soft pillow, the faint scent of Jim made him smile as everything clicked into place. He was at the new house, in his bed for the first time in days, and Jim was finally home again.

He reached to stretch but was thwarted by the sound of leather creaking and pressure on his wrists. Jerking fully awake, he tried to sit up.

"What the hell?" he growled, looking at both his wrists bound by leather cuffs and attached to the headboard by a length of soft rope. There was enough slack not to hurt, and enough to move his arms, but not enough reach to undo the cuffs.

Leonard tried to flip over, only to discover his ankles were in the same predicament as his wrists.

"Jim!" His pulse raced as anger surged through him. He searched for the culprit, or asshole more like. "Jim! Get your ass in here!"

Leonard struggled against the restraints, bouncing on his backside, but the only thing he managed to achieve was to slide the bed covers off his body, leaving him more vulnerable than he'd felt in years.

"Dammit, Jim! I will end you in some very creative ways if you don't get in here now!"

From the corner of his eye he glimpsed a mop of silver-blond hair peeking around the corner of the bedroom door.

"Jim!"

Realizing he'd been caught, Jim popped his head around the frame, stepping inside and smiling innocently. "Mornin', Bones."

"Don't you mornin—" Leonard spat out. "Get me the hell out of these things, right now!"

Jim bit the tip of his thumb, his foot rooted to the spot near the door. It was obvious he was contemplating how to release Leonard the easiest way and still be able to get a running start before Leonard murdered him. But then Jim took a deep breath, lowered his hands, and just above a whisper told him no.

"No?" Leonard never realized his voice could go that high. He began to sweat from the exertion of straining against the cuffs. Jim was staring at him, and he followed his gaze to where Jim was focused. Leonard had woken half hard, like usual, but he was surprised to see he was fully hard even though sex was the last thing on his mind, the first being to violently hurt Jim.

"No," Jim said again, lifting his head and then he strolled toward the end of the bed. "I'm not letting you go, yet."

"And why not?" Leonard said with gritted teeth.

"It's for your own good."

"For my own good—Jim!"

"Hear me out, okay?"

"I don't exactly have a choice."

"You've been working long hours while I’ve been away. I barely saw you before I left, and when you _were_ home, you were lying face down in that bed, and not in a good way. You're too tired, and too cranky—more than usual—to have any fun."

"This," Leonard yelled. "This is _not_ fun."

"You've been burning the candle at both ends, taking care of so many people, you're running yourself ragged. It's time to let someone take care of you."

"Well, that's all fine and dandy, but I have a shift starting in an hour."

"No, you don't."

"What?"

Jim leaned down, resting his hands on Leonard's shins. "I took care of that, so I could take care of you." He caressed the hair on Leonard's legs. "I'm going to help you relax, Bones."

"By tying me up." Leonard rolled his eyes, along with his head.

"Ssh," Jim hushed. "The restraints aren't for you, Bones. They're for me. It's been too long since I've had time with this body. I miss it." Jim kissed the inside of his ankle.

"Untie me and you can do whatever you like."

"Not this time." He mouthed a trail up Leonard's leg, ending at the inside of his thigh.

"Jesus, Jim." Leonard's words came out in a heavy breath. "Now, quit screwing around and get me out of these things." He jerked against the bonds. "We can both enjoy this."

"You can bitch and moan all you want, Bones, but you're mine for the day or until I say so. Just lay back, unwind, and let me handle this."

Leonard dropped his head back on the pillow, breathing through his nose to calm his heart rate. They'd tried the bondage thing on a pleasure planet once, but it had been a failed experiment, partly due to the alcohol they'd consumed, and partly because they had no idea what the hell they were doing in a bondage suite with all its automatic restraints and voice activated platforms.

This was simpler. Their own bed with straps Jim could easily unbuckle if he believed Leonard would actually kill him and wasn't into this, but his painfully hard cock was contrary to the words spewing from his mouth. Despite how annoyed he was with Jim, he trusted him, and a thrill rushed through him the moment Jim's mouth had touched the delicate skin on his ankle. And as Jim moved upward, settling his body between his legs, Leonard's cock ached with a need to be touched.

Lifting his head off the pillow again, he caught Jim's gaze. He was biting his lip, waiting for something, waiting for Leonard to give him his unadulterated consent.

"I won't do anything you don't want me to do," Jim said.

Leonard huffed out a breath, dropping his head back, then lifted his hips ever-so-slightly. "Fuck, Jim."

"Oh, I intend to," Jim said, his voice full of mirth, then he swallowed Leonard's cock.

"Goddamnit," Leonard breathed. With his legs and his arms shackled, and now his hips thanks to Jim’s body, he was at the mercy of Jim and his talented mouth. There was nothing to be done but relax and let Jim have his way.

Jim glanced up at him, eyes intent on his subject and, oh, how Leonard missed being the focus of that fire.

“Jim,” he said, and flopped his head back against his pillow as Jim swirled his tongue across the head of his cock. He licked down one side and then the other, and the feel of his hot breath was torture on Leonard’s skin. He wanted to buck up into Jim’s mouth, push to get some relief, but he still had a firm hold on Leonard’s hips. “Goddamn that mouth.”

He wanted to slap the smile from Jim’s face. It wasn’t fair that Jim had him spread out underneath him and he couldn’t even touch him, but Leonard had to admit, he hadn’t been this turned on in years.

“Patience, Bones.”  

A whimper escaped on Leonard’s breath, followed by a full moan as Jim took him in his mouth again, all the way down until his cock hit the back of Jim’s throat.

“Holy shit!” He pulled at the restraints, grateful for them or he might have done some damage to Jim. “You’ve been practicing.”

Jim hollowed his cheeks as he moved up and down, essentially fucking him with his mouth. It pushed Leonard to the edge, he could feel it rising through him. His toes curled, and he was about to shout at Jim that he was coming, except the bastard pulled his mouth off him and pinched the base of Leonard's cock.

“Not yet.”

Leonard cursed, huffing out a breath through his nose to calm himself.

It was possible Leonard was having a heart attack or a stroke, he wasn’t sure anymore. His cock throbbed in Jim’s hand in tune with the pounding of his heart. It was too much and not enough. He needed to come except the little bastard wouldn’t let him. He was not above begging, though, or yelling.

“Quit piddlin’ around!”

Jim didn’t let go. Instead, he crawled up to straddle Leonard’s hips, still keeping a firm grasp on his cock. There was a devilish glint in Jim's eyes that had Leonard worried.

“Startin’ to feel like a horny rooster in an empty hen-house, Jim.” He tried to shift, but with the restraints and Jim's weight there was nothing to be done but lay and wait for Jim to play out whatever the hell he wanted.

“I thought about gagging you, Bones, but it wouldn't be half as fun without your southern charm.”

“Let me free and I'd be happy to show you all my southern hospitality.”

“Oh, I'm not finished with you.” He pushed down, grinding his ass into Leonard's thighs so he could feel their balls pressed tightly together. He rubbed his cock against Leonard's, just barely the whisper of a touch, enough to drive him mad.

“You’re the devil incarnate.” Leonard dropped his head on the pillow again, biting his lip as Jim rocked back and forth, narrowly grazing his cock each time. He could probably come like this, too, except Jim still had a tight hold of him. This was madness. He would get Jim back for this, he didn't know how or when, but he would. And just when he was about to beg to give Jim anything he wanted, he hitched his hips, changing his grip on Leonard, and then he was guiding Leonard’s cock inside of him, already wet and ready for him.

“Oh, fuck, Jim!” Leonard gasped. “Fuck!” He was not expecting that, wasn’t ready for Jim to be prepped and so easily able to slide down Leonard’s cock in one move.

“I c—can’t. Please.” Jim just sat there motionless, waiting for Leonard’s cock not to be so sensitive. He wasn’t sure how long he sat there, and when Leonard finally opened his eyes, Jim’s gaze was soft and needy.

“Ready?” Jim asked, clenching down a little on Leonard’s cock. He was still hard, but he wasn’t nearly as close to the edge as before.

“Move,” Leonard said.

Jim took a hold of his own cock, pumping it up and down a couple of times and the little amount of movement was torturous. With all the energy he could muster, Leonard bucked his hips. “I said _move_!”

Jim laughed, throwing his head back and began to fuck himself on Leonard’s cock. His rhythm steadily increased with his hand, as did the litany of curses coming from Leonard’s mouth that were not fit for anywhere other than their bed.

“Almost, Bones.” He met Leonard’s eyes. His cheeks were flushed, as was his chest. Sweat had broken out on Jim’s upper lip and along the base of his hair. Twenty years later and the sight of Jim like that still surprised Leonard. That hunger in his eyes was meant for him, only him, and whatever they had gone through was worth it to be the focus of that look. He fucking loved Jim, and his body responded to that. His hips stuttered, and he came with Jim’s name on his lips. Jim was still riding him, and it was too much, he was too sensitive, but Jim was in his own world, head back with his hand working himself. And just when it was almost too much, Jim’s muscles tightened, and with a shout that was sure to wake the neighbors, Jim came, spilling all over Leonard’s chest. He took a shuddered breath, falling on top of Leonard, mixing their sweat and mess together and Leonard couldn’t bring himself to care.

They lay with Jim pressed against him until it became uncomfortable and the creak of his leather-bound wrists had Jim rolling off him to release his bonds. They expressed their gratitude for each other’s prowess after all these years, and the day was spent as Jim promised.

They never left the bed except for sustenance. And it was perfect. Leonard dared to hope they were back to themselves, back to Jim and Bones and ready to accept the future they talked about. Leonard wanted to build years together inside this house with the sound of laughter and shrieks from children who had Jim’s blue eyes and Leonard’s dark hair, who climbed trees with Jim’s tenacity and bravery, but with Leonard’s caution and compassion. He gave everything of himself to Jim that day, pushing away his doubts so he could be the man Jim needed him to be.

When they were both too tired to move and drifting off into sleep for the night, Jim shifted to wrap his arms around Leonard. He was content and satiated to the point where he was floating, and if he hadn’t been, he might not have pretended to be asleep when Jim whispered into the silence of the room.

“Bones, they offered me deep space. The edge of the universe. The _Enterprise_ , my crew, everything I’ve ever wanted.”


	9. Chapter 9

Leonard left the bed long before the first tendrils of sunlight appeared on the horizon. He needed time to think, to let his anger simmer instead of boil over like it would have if they had a discussion over breakfast. Maybe he was a coward, but he knew Jim better than he knew himself, and all that ballyhoo he put Leonard through yesterday was Jim doing what he does best: turning the odds in his favor.

Jim wanted another mission, wanted it more than the future he tempted Leonard with, and just when Leonard was getting used to the house and the rhythms of the planet. Hell, he’d even been offered his dream job at Starfleet Medical. He planned to tell Jim, went to sleep with every intention of sharing it in the morning, but then he'd woken up tied to the bed and all was forgotten.

At his age, chief of surgery at the top medical facility in the galaxy was an opportunity like no other. He could hand pick the best surgeons as they came up through the ranks, guide the ones who needed an extra push, and ground the doctors he considered weren’t fit to serve on ships where thousands of lives were at stake. He wanted all of it, and up until a few days ago, he never knew he did.

After a long shift and time to cool off, Leonard came home to an empty house. He poured himself a drink and sat on the deck listening to the wind through the trees. The quiet was nice. The breeze and the fresh air were even better. He didn’t think he could give this up, give up on having something more than a cabin on a ship and the emptiness of space, and more importantly, he didn’t want to.

He expected the familiar ding of the comm, so he answered it to find Jim's smiling face on the screen. The smile wasn’t genuine, though. Filled with trepidation, Jim greeted Leonard knowing that Leonard’s absence this morning meant he heard Jim’s whispers in the night.

“Jim,” Leonard answered.

“Hey, Bones. Sorry to have to do this to you, but I'm being called away to New Vulcan. Another meeting with the admirals.”

Jim was at Starfleet, so it was safe to assume this conversation would be superficial. It wouldn’t result in a shouting match that might have occurred if they were both home. At least this would give them time to organize their thoughts, because Jim was sure to have a long list of arguments as to why they should accept the deep space mission, and spending a week with the admirals was only going to reaffirm his decision.

“I was hoping we could talk, but it was a last-minute trip,” Jim said. “Something to do with the Cardassians and the Bajorans.”

“The Cardassians and the Bajorans?” Leonard was surprised to hear. “They've been at war for years. What would they want with you?” Leonard snorted. “They think you can broker peace between them?”

Jim’s cheeks flushed, giving Leonard his answer. The Cardassians...that was deep space territory. The isolated—no help from the Federation when help was needed—territory. Which is why Jim whispered his words last night.

“How long have you known?” Leonard asked.

“Not that long.”

“Jim.” He could fool alien races and Starfleet Admirals, but he couldn't fool his husband.

“Awhile.” Jim looked down. “But it was after we bought the house.”

“But before Spock’s news.” Leonard sipped his drink, relishing in the thought of outsmarting Jim.

“It's why I turned it down, initially. Without Spock and Uhura, or Sulu and Chekov, I didn't think I could do it. We're a team, a family, and I only get lucky because of all of you.”

“Then what changed your mind?” Jim was having a hard time looking at Leonard, which meant he already made his decision, but wasn’t at peace with it, yet.

“I don't know, Bones. It's a fucking good opportunity. Deep space, so much unknown, and with you and Scotty, and some new transfers, we might be able to pull it off.”

Leonard stared at the swaying branches of the tree hanging over their deck. They would need to trim it soon, it was dripping sap all over the railing. “What happened to settling down? Starting a family?” If they took the mission, it meant a family would never happen for them. It was now or never, because Leonard was certain they wouldn’t come back this time, and if they did, they would not be the same people.

“Bones...” Jim sighed. “I still want that. It hasn't changed.”

“Except it has.”

“What do you want me to say?” Jim met his eyes. There was a tick in his jaw as he thought about what would yield the least amount of resistance. “Things aren't what I thought they’d be like, Bones.”

“You're bored.”

“Yes! No,” Jim said, then his expression fell. “At least on the ship we’re together. I hardly see you.”

“It won’t always be like this, Jim. You haven't even given it a chance.”

“I don’t know.” He sighed. “I’m tired of being Starfleet’s poster boy.”

“Then tell them no. You don't have to shake all those hands and pat all those backs. There's good, honest work to be done without having to do that.”

"What are you saying?” Jim’s eyes were hard. Leonard had struck a nerve and Jim wasn’t going to let it go.

“I didn’t mean the way it sounded. Forget it. We’ll talk when you get home.” Leonard rubbed at his jaw, feeling the scruff of having not shaved this morning.

“No, Bones, don't stop now. You clearly have something to say, so say it.”

“You said you wanted all of this,” Leonard spread his arms to encompass their house, “but you never meant it. You want all that fawning and ego stroking. You need it. You’d rather have that than face what’s happening at home.”

Jim stayed silent, letting Leonard’s words sink in. He could tell they hit deep. They hurt Jim, but the truth did hurt.

“And what exactly is happening, Bones?”

“I don’t know! But I’m a fucking mess. I can’t keep going like this. Every time I close my eyes there’s nothing there. No one. It’s all gone, and I can’t help thinking it’s an omen. We paid a huge fucking price to get here, so why not embrace it?”

“We’ll get you some help. You can talk to someone.”

“It won’t help. Don’t you get it? There’s more to it than nightmares. How many times do I have to see you die before it takes? You’ve used up all your luck, Jim, and I can’t help but think next time, that’s it.”

He looked away from the screen to the view he’d grown to love. “It’s too much to lose,” Leonard said. They came back as heroes with their lives. The victory for the Federation should be enough to walk away with their crowning achievements and live the rest of their lives without the threat of death breathing down their necks. If Leonard lost Jim where would he be? What would he do? If he had to force Jim’s hand to see that, he would.

“It was no worse than other missions,” Jim said. “Think of what we could learn at the outer rim of the galaxy?”

“All those people, all those accolades,” Leonard shook his head, “none of that is real. This is real, you and me, what we could have is real, but I can’t keep waiting for you, not if you don’t want to be here. And I can’t go back up there. I can't. Not again. My time is over serving on the _Enterprise_. I’m out, Jim. I’m done.”

Jim’s head jerked up. He looked like Leonard had struck him with fists rather than words.

“I resigned my active commission today,” Leonard said. “I took a permanent position at Starfleet Medical as Chief of Surgery.”

“What?” Jim sat back in his chair. “You weren’t even going to discuss this with me? This affects both our lives. How could you?”

“Since when do you involve me in any of your decisions? Deep space ring any bells? You make choices for you, not for us. Besides, when was I supposed to talk to you? You’re never here!”

“That’s not fair,” Jim snapped. “It’s not just me, you know.” Jim raised his chin, folding his arms. “What about those nights I have the bed to myself because you’re pulling double, even triple, shifts at the hospital. One more patient to save. One more patient the great Dr. McCoy is the only one capable of saving! I have plenty of those nights, thank you.”

“That’s different and you know it.”

“It’s not. You're choosing the hospital over me.”

“I’m elbow deep in blood and guts saving lives. Not drinking cocktails, rubbing elbows with admirals and parading around parties like a stuffed peacock!"

"Stuffed peacock? You have no idea what I do. Everything I do is for our future!"

"A future I don't want to be a part of." It was said out of anger, Leonard didn’t mean for it come out the way it did, not when he couldn't reach out and touch Jim.

A knock on Jim’s office door interrupted them. A cute young, blond poked his head in. “Commodore Kirk, your shuttle leaves in five minutes.”

“Give me a minute, lieutenant,” Jim said, waving at him without even looking.

“Admiral Yeoh doesn’t like to be kept waiting,” he said.

“I _said_ I need a minute!” The lieutenant gasped but gave Jim his privacy.

The door slid shut and silence remained. Jim’s head was bowed, his shoulders rounded and when he looked at the screen his eyes were red-rimmed. Leonard wanted to pull Jim into his arms, kiss this argument goodbye and get back to what he loved about the two of them. They argued, they fought all the time, but it was never like this. Their words never cut to the bone.

“I never meant for you to hear it this way,” Leonard said. “I thought we’d talk before I resigned.”

“I see,” Jim said, eyes narrowed. “So, you resigned out of anger because of what I said last night.”

“You’re goddamn right I did. You think I don’t know how you manipulate people into getting what you want?” Leonard gritted his teeth. “Darlin’, I’ve been sleeping beside you for two decades. What you did yesterday was just another means to an end. You manipulated me, manipulated us. That whole day was a farce just so you could sweeten the bitter tea you were serving.”

“I can’t talk to you when you’re like this,” Jim said. “You’re being an asshole.”

“Then get on your shuttle, smile and wave for the cameras. That seems to be your M.O. these days. Don’t worry, I’ll still be here, waiting in this huge, fucking empty house, the one _you_ wanted to buy.”

There was another, more insistent, knock on Jim’s door.

“Bones...”

“Go. Just go, Jim.”


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a few years since I wrote in this fandom and I've forgotten how passionate y'all are. I've finished the last 3 chapters and am posting all at once to finish off the series. Thank you to everyone who's read this series! xo

With Jim still away, there was no reason for Leonard to be at the house, so he worked tirelessly to fill the void. The transition into his new role was more cumbersome than he thought it would be, a lot of red tape, a lot of forms to sign and learning curves, but it kept his mind off everything else and kept him busy enough to decline drinks with friends who wanted to know how he was doing.

Surprisingly, the nightmares had eased to the point where he was sleeping through the night. Perhaps it was exhaustion, or maybe the routine was good for him, or maybe it was the lack of imminent danger lurking around every corner. But he was a doctor, dammit, and so was Christine now, and they both knew better. Her not-so-gentle shove toward his bi-weekly meetings with the resident Betazoid might have proved to be exactly what he needed. Whatever it was that worked, he was restful and content with his decisions, more than he thought possible.

He missed the hell out of Jim, though.

He missed everything about him, even how much he riled him up daily. He missed his laughter and his touches. He missed that warm body beside him. And there were moments when he thought the empty space where Jim should be would swallow him whole. It was often enough that he thought about one more mission.

He went home for the first time in days, and all Leonard wanted to do was take a shower, crawl into his big bed and block out the world. He peeled off his boots and then wandered toward the kitchen when his comm rang.

“McCoy,” Leonard answered.

“Turn on the news,” Christine said over his comm.

“Hello to you, too, sweetheart.”

“Leonard.”

“I’m going. I’m going.” The screen came to life, and there was Jim, looking haggard but focused in a line of faces standing behind the formidable Admiral Yeoh.

 _“...Although an armistice could not be reached at this time, the Federation will work alongside the Vulcan Ambassadors to bring peace to the two warring nations. It is the Federation’s hope that on its five-year mission to the outer edges of the Alpha Quadrant, the newly retro-fitted_ Enterprise _will lend assistance during the accords._

 _It is with honor, I introduce the Captain of the_ Enterprise _, newly appointed Rear Admiral James T. Kirk..._

“Son of a...” Leonard turned off the feed.

“You didn't know?” Christine said.

“No. Well...” Leonard ran his hand over his face. “I suspected, but no, I didn't know.”

She was silent for a few breaths. “Need some company?”

“I appreciate your concern, Christine, but I need some time with this.” She argued but eventually relented, expressing her sympathies and agreed to leave him alone for the night.

Leonard poured a few fingers of scotch and then sat on the sofa with only his thoughts.

It was weeks since Jim left for New Vulcan and they hadn’t spoken since. There were rumors the peace talks weren't going well, and the council had been sequestered during that time, which meant there were no transmissions in or off the planet from any of the members while the meetings took place. They couldn’t have talked if they wanted to, but they were both too angry and stubborn to communicate over comms, so he wasn’t sure if they would have anyway.

His final words to Jim were said in anger, but he never thought Jim would take them and throw everything they had out the window. Jim must have thought Leonard would change his mind, join him on this mission because that's what Leonard did. He followed Jim to the ends of the galaxy. But not this time. This time he wouldn't. He simply couldn’t.

He wasn't sure how long he sat there. His glass was empty, and the sun was put to rest long before the front door opened. He startled Jim when the lights turned on. He wasn’t expecting Leonard to be sitting in the dark, staring into nothing.

“Bones, geezus!” He clutched his chest, taking a few breaths. He set his bags down, pulling off his uniform jacket, leaving his white undershirt in its place. “What are you you doing in the dark?”

Leonard blinked at the light, looking into his empty glass.

“I don't know, _Rear Admiral_ Kirk, seems to be where I live now. In the dark.”

Jim sighed. “You saw the news?”

“Yeah, I saw the fucking news.”

“They pressured me into it, Bones. I didn't want to accept until I spoke with you. I told them that, but they wouldn't take no for answer.”

Leonard snorted. “Yeah, that sounds like the Jim Kirk I know. He can be talked into anything he doesn't want to do.”

“It’s not what it seems.”

“It seems like you accepted a five-year mission to deep fucking space.”

“Bones, it’s five years. We can do this in our sleep.”

“You go right on ahead.” Now that he was faced with the choice, Leonard knew what he wanted, and it wasn’t a cabin on a starship. He rose from the sofa. His hips cracked, and his knees popped. There were aches that shouldn’t be there, but the most painful one was in his chest. They couldn’t come back from this. They wanted different things. There was a time when he would’ve happily followed Jim anywhere because it made sense. He wanted to be wherever Jim was, and he still did, but as the years started to pile on, there were places Leonard wasn’t willing to go. Rura Penthe changed everything. He was tired of living with his heart in his throat waiting for that last breath of life to leave Jim. They did their time, more than enough, and there was nothing wrong with wanting more out of life. He couldn’t understand why Jim was so afraid of that.

“I can’t do it without you,” Jim said, but he made no move toward Leonard. “This is the chance of a lifetime. We can change the future of the Federation.”

“Once was enough for me. You'll have to do it on your own this time, 'cause I’m not going.” Leonard set his glass down, and then headed for the stairs. He was too goddamn tired to have this conversation, and Jim was too keyed up not to have it.

“Don’t walk away.” Jim headed him off on his way to the hallway. “We need to talk about this.”

“No, you mean _you_ need to talk about it. You’re going to talk me to death until I agree to go, but that’s not going to happen, Jim. Not this time. I told you I was done with it all. I’ve spent the last two decades of my life chasing you around. I’m tired.”

“What do you mean? What are you saying? Spell it out for me, Bones.”

“We want different things. There’s no shame in that.” There were some things love couldn’t fix. It was as simple as that. “Life gets in the way and things change. It just happens.”

“Not to us. I won’t accept that.”

“We’re not who we once were,” Leonard said, then added, “well, I’m not.”

“Don’t you fucking give up.”

“I’m not giving up. I’m facing a truth you can’t seem to accept.” Leonard brushed past him, climbing the stairs to their bedroom. He made it to the bathroom before he heard the creak of the stairs as Jim ran up behind him.

“Bones, come on,” Jim said and sighed. “I know this year has been trying at times, but it doesn’t mean we can’t work through this.”

Leonard pulled his shirt over his head and undid his pants, anything to distract him from the answer he wanted to give. He would always love Jim no matter where they were in the universe. He couldn’t ask Jim to stay, and Leonard couldn’t go. He would be no good to any of them, and he doubted he would pass the psych evals, anyway.

“Let’s not do this right now, okay? It’s late, Jim.”

“I don’t give a damn what time it is. We’re not sleeping until we get everything out in the open. We’re better than this. We deserve better. There’s too much history to just ignore. I can’t lose you, Bones.”

“And we can’t ask each other to choose. It’s not fair. We’ll only end up resenting one another.”

“You’ll overcome this.”

“Not this time. In case you’ve been too busy to notice, I’m scared shitless of that unknown you’re obsessed with.” Leonard ran his hands over his face, and if they were shaking slightly, they both ignored it. “You’re still living in the past, Jim. I’m the only who seems to be looking to our future, and we’re forgetting how to be here in the now.” Leonard pulled back the covers on the bed, fluffing up the pillows.

“You said you’d never leave.”

“I’m not leaving. I’m staying right here.” He climbed into their big fucking bed, pulling the covers up to his chest. “It’s you who’s leaving this time.”

“Yeah, you’re not leaving. You’re giving up.”

“That’s where you’re wrong.” He reached for the lamp on his side of the bed. “I’m choosing a life with you, one you dangled in front of me and then took away. I want it all, Jim. I want those kids and grand-kids. I even want them to play with Spock’s kids, god help them. They’ll piss on his shoes and pull on his ears. It would be a good life. I’m choosing us, but you don’t see it that way.” He clicked off the light, turning on his side away from Jim. He waited, wondering if Jim would stay or if his anger would drive him back downstairs.

“This isn’t our ending, Bones.” Jim sidled over to the bed to stand in front of him. “This isn’t how our story goes.”

“More insight from Ol’ Spock?”

“No,” Jim said, “he told me I die alone.”

“Jim...”

“I don’t want to die alone.” There was a hitch in his voice.

Leonard didn’t know what to say to that. He wished he could tell Jim he wouldn’t, that he would always be there, but for the first time since Jim showed up on his doorstep all those years ago, he didn’t know if it was true. So instead, he settled on a partial truth.

“It doesn’t have to end tonight,” Leonard said, lifting the covers. He reached for Jim’s hand, pulling him into the bed, and he let Leonard wrap his arms around him, holding him close until it wasn’t close enough. They shed their clothes, and Jim settled back in Leonard’s arms so they could feel each other’s bare skin from head to toe. He kissed the back of Jim’s neck, holding him tight as he trembled in Leonard’s arms.

“I miss us, Bones.” He pushed back letting Leonard know what he wanted from him and even though it wouldn’t solve anything, he would never deny Jim that part of him. They rocked in silence, lazy almost, and yet it sparked more feelings inside of Leonard than he’d felt in a long time, like every ache and pain was working its way to the surface, bleeding through his pores while he fucked Jim, slow and breathless until there was nothing left of him to give. They both came soon after the other with choked off breaths and nothing more.

If Jim cried, Leonard never saw, just like Jim hadn’t seen his own tears. They ignored the mess they’d made between them, choosing to sleep it away and deal with it in the morning.

Leonard was almost asleep when Jim broke the quietude.

“Bones,” Jim whispered into the night. “Ask me to stay.”

Leonard’s breath caught, and the swelling of his heart was pure and full, but something inside Leonard kept him silent, never acknowledging Jim’s words. He couldn’t ask him to stay, it would break their marriage far beyond what it was now. And the last thing he wanted was Jim to resent him. He loved him too much to end up hating him. The audacity to hope for a life together on earth had terrified Leonard because he always knew it would lead to disappointment. He loved Jim, he absolutely did, enough to let him go. Jim was born to own the stars, whereas Leonard was merely renting space.


	11. Chapter 11

They became drifting strangers. Days merged into weeks and neither seemed to notice. Leonard stayed at the hospital most nights while Jim picked up more engagements as the launch date of the _Enterprise_ drew near. They were good at burying their heads in the sand, neither bringing up Jim’s inevitable departure, so they chose to ignore it, along with each other.

Leonard discovered he wasn’t as sad as he should have been when he heard the official announcement of the _Enterprise_ ’s deployment date. It was the end to this drifting. He’d accepted he was never Jim’s to begin with, that Jim’s true love was the vastness of space. Leonard knew it the first day they met, even the day they married he knew he was on borrowed time with Jim.

Staring at his finger, he contemplated removing the ring, but nothing was final yet. He spoke with his lawyer on a few occasions to discuss their shared assets, they didn’t have a lot of possessions, most of their money was tied up in stocks and Federation bonds, and the two properties they owned: the two-bedroom apartment in London, and the four-bedroom house, here, in San Francisco. It had been too much house for the two of them when they bought it, but Jim’s eyes lit up the moment they walked through the front doors and Leonard caved.

He didn’t want to keep the house. Jim could have both properties, he didn’t care. Once Jim was gone, he didn’t want reminders of ‘what could have been.’ He wouldn’t need much. Jim was right about one thing, most of his time was spent at the hospital, so he would only need a modest apartment to house what little possessions he would take from the marriage.

It was almost midnight by the time Leonard rolled into the driveway. The windows in the front of the house were dark and desolate, an omen to what was waiting for him inside. It had been weeks since he cooked a meal in the kitchen, he didn’t want to think about what state the fridge was in, so he continued down the hallway, turning on one single light as he headed to the stairs. The closer he got, he noticed a faint glow coming from the staircase. The house sensors hadn't been turned on since they malfunctioned in the last storm and he never figured out how to re-configure them. That had always been Jim’s job, so it was left untouched, like so many other things in this house and his life.

Rounding the corner, he saw tealight candles, one on every step, leading up to the second floor where the bedrooms were. A few had been snuffed out, indicating just how long they’d been burning. He wanted to turn around, get in his vehicle and drive back to the hospital, but something about the lights were calling him forward, like a beacon of hope, and with each step he took up the stairs it was a pick chipping away at the ice built up around his heart.

When he got to the landing, the glow was brighter coming from the master bedroom. He stood outside the door, palms sweating, and terrified by what he might find on the other side. If this was Jim’s idea of saying goodbye, he didn’t want it. He’d rather not have a last night together before Jim left him for space. He’d rather fade into the abyss like they had been doing this past year. It was easier. His heart wouldn’t be ripped out of his chest to have Jim stomp on it as he walked out the door.

He strained his ears to listen for any hint as to what might be waiting, but there was only silence. Jim was in there, his presence pulled Leonard forward like always. He would have heard Leonard come up the stairs, they were old and creaky, and Jim always joked they would never fix them because if they had children it was the perfect deterrent to keep them from sneaking out of the house at night.

He stifled a sob at the wasted dreams. There would be no children in this house, at least not raised by Jim and Leonard.

He couldn’t walk through that door and expect himself to say goodbye one last time in this manner of a send-off. He wanted to rage, violently scream at the universe. He wanted to curl into a ball, beg Jim to stay, and not go gentle into the night. He wanted to sign up for another five-year mission.

Tugging at the collar of his jacket, he turned to go. The house was suffocating, he had to get out of there. With his first step on the stairs, the house chose that opportune time to protest his departure, and the creaking of the wood shattered the silence loud enough to wake the dead.

“Bones?” Jim’s voice cracked on his name, and Leonard’s heart sang in response. Hearing the shuffle of steps, he knew he couldn’t make his getaway now. Cringing, he turned around.

Jim stood in the doorway, backlit by all the candles in the room. There must have been a hundred of them, and the heat from them was all they needed on this cold winter’s night. Jim’s face was hidden behind shadow, but Jim was the one with the poker face, so it didn’t matter. It was Leonard who wore his heart on his sleeve, and with the light coming from the room, shining on his face, his confusion would be apparent.

The big surprise wasn’t that Jim was standing in front of him, it was his attire. Thinking he would have shucked his clothes for boxers or at least sweats, as usual, Leonard was left speechless by the tailored tux Jim wore. His silhouette was lean and cut, like the suit was made only for him, and knowing Jim, it wasn’t a far stretch to think it was.

He’d never seen Jim in a tux, some nice suits, yes, but the formal affairs they attended were Starfleet, so he wore his uniform to those engagements. The little of what he could see standing in front of him wasn’t enough for Leonard. He needed to see all of Jim, not just his outline bathed in light. He needed more in every way.

He was about to open his mouth, but Jim cut him off with a raise of his hand. Jim took one step forward, and the light from the candles on the stairs lit his face with a warm glow. The sight of him took Leonard’s breath away—it always did. This was the man he married. He hadn’t seen Jim in weeks, and he’d lost the weight he’d gained this past year wining and dining with the who’s who of Starfleet. He was as Leonard remembered him. Fresh faced, wild-eyed, and ready to do battle.

He wanted to ask why he was here, why the tux, and more importantly, when did he ship out? But this was Jim’s show, and he knew when to shut his mouth when he was in command. It wasn’t too difficult considering he was having trouble forming sensible words.

“You love me.” It was all Jim said. A statement, not a question, just like all those years ago.

Leonard didn’t have the words on his tongue, but he could tell the truth, so he nodded just like before.

This time, though, Jim didn’t take a step toward him. He didn’t attack him with his mouth, crush their lips together like he had for their first declaration of love. Leonard waited for it, he wanted Jim to do it, his entire body was humming at the thought of it, but the affirmation never came.

“I know what you’ve gone through for me, Bones, and I know you’ve been talking with someone about it. I have, too. We don’t ever have to talk about it, or we can, whatever you want, but I know, Bones. I know.” His voice was deep, and it resonated within Leonard, sending a shiver down his spine. Jim reached into his pants’ pocket, pulling out a box that fit in the palm of his hand. “You’ve followed me, never leaving my side in twenty years, Bones. You’ve done more for me than any man has a right to ask. It’s my turn now. This isn’t me compromising, you know I don’t do that, this is me choosing something new and unknown. I choose you. You’re more important to me than anything this universe can offer.

"I've never had this, never known it and I got scared. I don’t want to die alone, Bones. I want to be here with you, surrounded by our children and grandchildren’s laughter in this very house. I told you once that there’s always a plan. And there is. Always.”

Jim cleared his throat, taking a step closer. “Leonard McCoy, will you do me the honor of renewing our vows, so we may spend the rest of our days together in this ridiculous house, in our big, beautiful bed?”

The lack of speech and the dry mouth were really becoming an issue. Leonard’s lips were pressed firmly together, his forehead furrowed with creases, and to anyone who didn’t know him, they might think he was mighty angry. But this man in front of him knew everything about him. He was the only one in the galaxy who truly did and still wanted to be with him. He was the only thing Leonard needed in this life, but more importantly, the only thing Leonard wanted in this life.

“It’s my turn to follow you, Bones. I’m not going anywhere.”

Leonard’s chest hurt. The size of his heart was crushing his ribs, he was sure of it. Oh, how he loved this man and all of the heartache and joy that came with him. No matter where or what they called home, life would always be an adventure and Jim would always do the impossible for the people he loved.

“Good.”

It was all Leonard could say, and then he was on Jim, his mouth hard and insistent until Jim gave in and took him to their bed.

This was still their story, and it was far from over.


	12. Epilogue

Leonard flicked his soiled hands in the sink.

“And who the hell thought this was a good idea?” He was literally covered to his elbows in shit. He’d gotten home from the hospital, walked in the front door and slipped as soon as he crossed the threshold...into a pile of shit.

“Bones!” Jim cried out from somewhere in the house. “Thank, god, you’re here. I need help!”

It was only a week since the decision to change the course of their lives was made. Leonard was regretting that decision, remembered their conversation—vividly—while he scrubbed his hands and arms with a gallon of soap.

He had warned Jim it wouldn’t be easy. “This won’t be a shiny, new toy you can get bored of after a few weeks,” he'd said.

“Have some faith, Bones.”

“Faith he says,” Leonard had grumbled. “Where will faith get me when I’m the one up at night taking care of them. I’ll need sleep, Jim. Precious sleep.”

“Sleep is overrated for doctors.”

“This is going to change our lives.”

“Stop being the devil’s advocate. You’re the one who suggested this.” Jim smacked his shoulder.

“And now I’m having second thoughts. I’m seeing my life flash before my eyes.”

“Do I have gray hair?” Jim had asked.

“You’re bald.”

“That will never happen.” Jim wrapped his arms around Leonard, pulling him close. “What’s the point of this big, empty house, if not to fill it? Isn’t that what you said?”

“Doesn’t sound like me.” Leonard sighed, pressing his lips to Jim’s. “I don’t want to screw this up.”

“You’re not the only one responsible. We’ll screw them up together.”

“I can’t believe you’re the one talking me into this commitment. Times sure have changed.”

“Change is good, remember?”

“Yeah.” Bones had sighed, giving in.

“Then, let’s go get them.”

“You sure we're doing the right thing?”

“Stop worrying.”

“Maybe I just have a hard time sharing you,” Leonard had said, pinching Jim’s ass before heading out the door.

“Well, that’s understandable.”

They got into the vehicle, Leonard glancing to the back seat to double check if they had everything. It was the last time they would be alone together. The last time Jim would solely be his. But they had chosen to stay and make a life here, so they had to keep moving.

“Ready?”

“Hell, no.”

“Me neither.” Jim had given him a quick peck on the lips. “That’s what makes this exciting!”

“Exciting, my ass,” Leonard had said.

“Come on. They’re waiting.”

And that was that. Jim and Leonard were no longer a twosome, and they hadn’t rested since.

There was a split decision Leonard had to make once he turned off the tap. He could quietly walk back out the door, get in his vehicle and head back to the hospital, or he could suck it up and go relieve his husband from his duties. Leonard was tired...exhausted really, and the last thing he wanted to do was work another shift here at home, but then he felt a tug on the hem of his pants and the decision was made for him. He heard the growl from the little monster responsible.

Bending down, he scooped up said monster and shook him gently, scolding him in his mean, old doctor voice. “Did you do that? Did you leave that welcome mess for me? Or was it your sister?”

The twelve-week old puppy let out a yelp, and turned his deep brown eyes on Leonard, squirming to lick his face.

“Bones!” Jim’s voice traveled from upstairs down to the kitchen.

“What have you done to your daddy?” Leonard said to the puppy. The fuzzy ball of fur yelped again, still squirming and grunting like a baby.

“Let’s go find him.” Leonard tucked the pup under his arm, carefully avoiding the shit massacre in the entryway, and went in search of Jim.

He looked in each of the rooms on the first floor, all in different stages of disarray. He walked up the stairs following the sound of Jim’s curses, and the trail of mess on the floor. The closer he got to the top of the stairs, the more his heart sank.

“Not my bed,” Leonard whined.

“Yes, the goddamn, fucking bed!”

Leonard walked into the bedroom. The sheets were torn off, strewn on the floor, and the mattress was on its side resting up against the open window. He didn’t need to see the proof, he could smell it.

“What the hell did you do? And why did you let them up there in the first place? Goddammit, Jim!”

“I needed to sleep, and they wouldn’t stop howling in their crate. I thought I could put them on the bed with me, then we could all close our eyes, just for a few minutes.”

Leonard peered around the edge of the mattress and recoiled in disgust. “Oh!” He turned his face into his shoulder to mask the stench. “Not my bed,” Leonard said.

“They must have gotten into something.”

“Yah think? That’s like a whirling tornado of shit. What did they eat?”

“I don’t know, all right?” Jim said. “I screwed up. I think they got into the compost. They ganged up on me, I swear. And I’m just so tired.” He rubbed his hands over his face, sinking to his knees. Jim was naked to his boxers, his hair was disheveled and there were dark circles under his eyes. He looked like shit—pun intended, for there was a little smudge of something brown on his chin.

Leonard leaned forward, peering at the suspicious dark spot.

“What?” Jim asked, cringing from Leonard’s gaze.

“You have feces on your face.” Leonard’s laughter was loud, exploding to a howl. The former captain of the most powerful ship in the galaxy, and now on the fast track to becoming the youngest full-fledged admiral in history had been brought to his knees by two little, adorable, not-so-innocent puppies.  

Leonard heard yelping coming from their bathroom.

“I put her in the tub until I could take care of this mess,” Jim said.

“And this one?” Bones held up the golden pup to eye level, resisting the urge to make faces at him.

“I tried to wrangle him, but he escaped. That one is sly. He’s quick, too! No fear. He took those stairs like he’d mastered them weeks ago and was just waiting for the right time to reveal it.” Jim got up from his knees and headed to the bathroom. “She, on the other hand, wouldn’t even take one step toward them. Caught her quick.”

Bones couldn’t handle the squirming in his arms, or the racket coming from the bathroom. He peeked around Jim’s shoulder at the old, claw foot tub. It was so deep, he couldn’t even see her from the doorway. He could hear her, though, and the yelps were painful in the echo of the small room. He looked over the edge of the tub, and the brown pup looked pitifully miserable in there on her own. She sat on her haunches, hazel eyes looking sad and soulful, and as soon as she saw him, her tail began wagging, shaking her entire body.

“I wouldn’t pick her up,” Jim said. “She’s covered in it.”

Leonard moved closer, and sure enough, her fur was spoiled. He put the golden pup next to her, and the two started to wrestle, little growls as they nipped at each other’s ears. She was bigger than him, and in no time she had him pinned, sitting on him to put him in his place.

“You two,” Leonard said, pointing his finger and trying his best to sound authoritative, “stay there. You’ve done enough damage for a lifetime.” At his harsh, deep voice, the puppies’ ears folded back, and they became quiet.

“Bones,” Jim protested and reassured the puppies everything was okay.

“And you wonder why they don’t listen to you.” Leonard walked out of the bathroom, leaving Jim and the puppies with their shame. He wanted to be angry, and he was doing a pretty good job of making them think he was, but inside, mirth was taking over. He wanted to scream at Jim for his idiocy, but he recognized the look of sheer exhaustion. With Jim’s new promotion, he was afforded some time off, so the plan had been for Jim to take a few weeks to get the pups acquainted with their surroundings, get them on a routine, and then Leonard would take some time off when Jim had to get back to headquarters. The transition was supposed to be easy, to have one of them home for the first two months of their arrival.

Jim had been up at different intervals in the nights. He’d been the one to make sure Leonard wasn’t disturbed so he could sleep through the night, and it was Jim who’d been the one with them all day long.

“They don’t sleep, Bones,” Jim whispered from the doorway, desperation in his words. “They don’t. The vet said puppies sleep a lot, even the books say it, but ours don’t. There’s something wrong with them.”

Leonard’s back was to him, so Jim couldn’t see him trying to hide his smile. He was staring at the mess of sheets on the floor, his shoulders hunched forward to stave off the laughter tightening in his stomach.

“I’m sorry, Bones,” Jim said, and his apology broke Leonard.

He bent at the knees, his body shaking, then his breath came out at once in the form of a snort.

“You’re laughing?”

Leonard stood to face him, tears coming out the sides of his eyes. “Yes, Jim, I’m laughing. This,” he held his arm out to the mess, “is fucking funny.”

“It’s not funny,” Jim protested, but he had started to laugh as well.

“Come here,” Leonard said, holding his hands out. He gathered Jim in his arms, hugging him tightly. Patting Jim’s back, he grabbed the sheet, choosing a clean edge, and wiped Jim’s cheek. “There’s nothing wrong with them. They’re a handful, but they’re our handfuls. What else did we expect?”

“Is this what children will be like?” Jim asked.

“Worse.” He placed his lips on Jim’s, warm and soft and always familiar. Jim never told Leonard what made him choose him and Earth, not really. He suspected Jim had a long talk with Old and New Spock, and since they made the decision to be together rather than apart, Jim never looked back. He did everything with the same focus and gusto as before, and there may have been times when Leonard caught Jim on the deck staring up at the stars, but Jim was happy, they both were, and perhaps Leonard started to believe this life was enough for Jim, that he was enough for Jim.

“Go shower and get some rest,” Leonard said, kissing him again. “I got this.”

“It’s my fault. I’ll clean it up. We’ll get the mattress cleaned—”

“Oh, we’re getting a new one.”

“I can get it cleaned.”

“We’re getting a new one. It’s tainted, and I don’t want to be reminded of that explosion every time I look at it. I have other things I’d rather imagine.”

“Really?” Jim squeezed Leonard’s ass. “Like what?”

Leonard rolled his eyes. “I’m not having sex with you right now. This isn’t exactly turning me on.”

“You sure?”

“I have my kinks, but this ain’t one of them.”

“Why are you telling me about these ‘so-called’ kinks just now?”

“Go get some sleep, Jim.”

“Fine. But we’re going to talk about these kinks. If we’re living on Earth, we need ways to keep things exciting.”

“I’m pretty sure life with you will never get boring—no matter where we are.”

“We’re getting a bigger bed.”

“Yes, dear.” Leonard started pushing Jim toward the door.

“One with eye hooks on the bed frame. I think you’ll appreciate them after that whole tying you up thing.”

“Jim, the only thing you’re getting is rubber sheets.”

“Oh, kinky, Bones.”

“Jim.”

“What about a swing?”

“Jim!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And they lived happily ever after.  
> Done! Thank you for reading.


End file.
